I think it's time for a build/mod project...

[TomWIC]

A while ago, a friend of mine gave me her Encore E4 Blaster due to her not playing it anymore. I took it off her hands with the intention of having it as a project bass, and as I've been hankering for a good precision for a while now, and after seeing some of the wonderful custom P-bass builds you fine folk have done, I think it's time I looked into starting on it.

As a complete newbie to this, I'm thinking of the following mods: replacing the neck (a good, preferably unbranded one with the intention of spraying my band's logo on the headstock), putting some nice looking tuners on it as I'm not keen on the butterfly style ones, new pickups (going to stick with passive electronics for the time being) so hopefully I can keep the wiring inside the same (or possibly changing the pots too), and maybe a custom scratchplate, or no scratchplate at all, while keeping the body the same, save for a possible spray.

Hopefully, it isn't a completely stupid idea, and I will actually be able to turn a cheap starter bass into something brilliant, so any tips, recommendations, must-buys, stuff to avoid, etc, advice for me?

[ThomBassmonkey]

If you want a project, it could be good.

If you want a good bass, there's no point. You might as well spend the money on parts on a decent bass to begin with. It sounds like you're going to end up changing everything on the bass with the exception of the body (and you might even respray that). With the bass so cheap in the first place, its really not worth it.

[silentbob]

I say go for it, but maybe make the focus of this project trying to make the bass look and feel good for as little money as possible. That way you can teach yourself loads about modding and it won't really matter when you screw stuff up. Then, when it's all finished you'll have aquired a load of knowlage and saved some cash to put towards building a better bass.

[paul torch]

[quote name='silentbob' timestamp='1345298873' post='1776042']
I say go for it, but maybe make the focus of this project trying to make the bass look and feel good for as little money as possible. That way you can teach yourself loads about modding and it won't really matter when you screw stuff up. Then, when it's all finished you'll have aquired a load of knowlage and saved some cash to put towards building a better bass.
[/quote]this

[Marvin]

[quote name='TomWIC' timestamp='1345207991' post='1774991']
A while ago, a friend of mine gave me her Encore E4 Blaster due to her not playing it anymore. I took it off her hands with the intention of having it as a project bass, and as I've been hankering for a good precision for a while now, and after seeing some of the wonderful custom P-bass builds you fine folk have done, I think it's time I looked into starting on it.

As a complete newbie to this, I'm thinking of the following mods: replacing the neck (a good, preferably unbranded one with the intention of spraying my band's logo on the headstock), putting some nice looking tuners on it as I'm not keen on the butterfly style ones, new pickups (going to stick with passive electronics for the time being) so hopefully I can keep the wiring inside the same (or possibly changing the pots too), and maybe a custom scratchplate, or no scratchplate at all, while keeping the body the same, save for a possible spray.

Hopefully, it isn't a completely stupid idea, and I will actually be able to turn a cheap starter bass into something brilliant, so any tips, recommendations, must-buys, stuff to avoid, etc, advice for me?
[/quote]

Did you have to pay anything for the Encore or did your friend literally let you have the bass for nowt. If you got it for nothing or peanuts I'd say go for it. Like some others have said you can learn bucket loads.

Keep us all updated if you do, I'd be very interested in the suggestions as regards a replacement neck for a blaster. I was going to pick up a cheap 2nd hand blaster and do the same myself.